Learning to Knit With a Knit Along

My First Swatch
My First Swatch

Look at that. LOOK! My first swatch ever.

Here it is on dark wood:

My First Swatch on dark
My First Swatch on dark

I made an actual gauge swatch thingy and it’s mostly accurate to what I need it to be!

See, I can sew and quilt…but I can’t knit. Obviously I CAN knit, but it’s not comfortable. I don’t have the muscle-memory for it, it doesn’t come naturally, and I refuse to take that as an answer.

So, I joined the Very Shannon Summer Sweater Knit Along 2015 (#SSKAL) to force myself to get this knitting thing down. I find if I need to learn something, I need to force myself to have a deadline and dive in head first.

For a pattern, I’m taking a Craftsy class called My First Sweater, cuz, well, this is my first sweater.

craftsy my first sweater class
craftsy my first sweater class

I already know I prefer bamboo/wood needles, but I’m not really getting how to swap out yarn types or any of that, so I’m using the Lion’s Brand Wool-Ease which is really acrylic with some wool added. I’d like to switch to better yarn at some point in my knitting, but for my first time, I’m going to follow the directions. Novel idea!

my first knit ribbing
my first knit ribbing

Check it out. I only had to entirely rip it out once. 😀 I’m very excited. It’s very slow going. Very Shannon announced the SSKAL, and I started right away, before the sign up page was even live. I think I might make it. It took me 6 hours to get the swatch and this little bit of knitting. SLOW GOING. I had the hardest time figuring out that the stitch I do, as in pearl or knit, is the one that will come out facing me. Ribbing made me learn I needed to know that! Ha. All these things you go through as a n00b!!

Because I’m so excited about my inch of ribbing, here’s another shot:

knit ribbing is exciting
knit ribbing is exciting

and a close up with some of it stretched so you can see…well, really, this is all for me…

ribbing close up
ribbing close up

I am so damn proud of that. Can you tell?

I had some of these purple silicone knitting needle thingies, but lost most of them.

Knitting Needle-mabobs
Knitting Needle-mabobs

While I was waiting for more to arrive, I found using a clothes pin works great – better in fact for my newbie-self. So, I’m going to see how that goes. The clothes pin holds that last stitch in place too, so jostling of the project isn’t so much a factor.

Up Close Swatch
Up Close Swatch

I’ve read somewhere that I’m not supposed to be taking the yarn directly from the skein like this as I knit, is that right? I’m supposed to take all 6 skeins or whatever and make them into balls? What’s the deal with that? Why? How? And, possibly for this project…not gonna happen. But I still want to know why and how.

Also, I need to find some cheat sheet on like-for-like yarns. If I’m reading a pattern for my Wool-Ease sweater, and want to swap out yarns – what do I do? There are some freakin’ rad yarn stores in Portland, and I’d much rather get something without acrylic in it. I guess I could go TO a store and ask, but it’s not always easy to get away for hours, and/or hang in a yarn store with kids. I’m a research online person, then get into/out of store quickly.

Do You Get Ready-To-Wear Guilt?

Do you? I do. Is it being a sewist and because I can do it myself so I feel like I’ve been duped when I buy something I can easily make? Is it fast fashion/sweatshop guilt? All of the above? I dunno. Probably.

Have you done the Stitch Fix thing? no, this is not a review or a pitch.

stitchfix blog
stitchfix blog

I did a couple months of that Stitchfix service. Don’t worry – you can click that – it’s NOT and affiliate link and it goes to their blog not their sign up. Don’t get me wrong – it’s totally fun. I liked it. As a wicked busy working mom, it was great. I do like bargain hunting, but for paying full retail without the hassle, it was fun. I even bought a top.

A top that is almost exactly like the Aberdeen in Seamwork that I HAVE a subscription to…queue guilt and feeling lame. And a loss of $46. I wear it all the time…but I could have made it. I should do a “who made it better!”

I digress.

I did NOT, however, fall for all the cute sleeveless tops or basic dresses. Shirt above aside, I’m not going to buy something I can whip up in a couple hours. I have a LOT of Renfrews and Sorbettos and hacks there-of I never post – see:

Sorbetto hack with sheer yoke
Sorbetto hack with sheer yoke
Renfrew White
Renfrew White
Renfrew Red
Renfrew Red

I know I can whip these up from practically remnants, so I just can’t fork out $50 for a sleeveless shell. Not going to happen.

Where do you draw the line? I’m not going to make shoes anytime soon, and I don’t find bags fun/worth the effort all that often. But I’m having a hard time even buying pants – because I should be making that shit. Right? Jackets are easy enough, right? I think so and they’re fun. I know there’s a trend in our community of going full handmade only. I dunno. I made some underwear recently, and that was fun, but I don’t get a thrill from swimsuits. I mostly just don’t have the patience for them. Do I draw the line at “I don’t wanna?” I certainly can’t buy a quilt. I’m too picky for that now.

stitches
stitches

I certainly have a retail block for myself. I haven’t made jeans yet, but that Ginger Jeans pattern is sure tempting.

But $50 for a sleeveless shirt shipped overseas just ain’t doing it for me anymore.

Renfrew white and dorky face
Renfrew white and dorky face

Photoshop + DSLR Bundle from ABM

ABM Class
ABM Class

It was 1998, maybe 1999. I was sitting at my desk in an office in an industrial sign company. My boss comes by, and unable to find the graphic designer, hands me this letterhead with edit scribbles on it, and tells me to fix it. This became my intro into learning CorelDraw.

Fast forward a couple years, and I’m working in the corporate office of a train company, mostly exec admin stuff while I’m going to college. Almost the same scenario – there was a need for a designer, they knew I had some experience, and then I spent the next 8 years or so in Adobe CS.

That was some time ago now, there were a few other stints afterwards, and while I don’t do it for a living anymore (burn out is real, man, it’s real!!), I haven’t really refreshed my knowledge or habits. Most of my Adobe training is circa 2000, and my DSLR familiarity is gleaned from pro-photographer friends.

I looked around online for a refresher course. I need some updated habits for Photoshop and to get a better handle in general. I looked at Craftsy and Youtube and blogs and pros and all that crap. I’m not going pro here, I just need a reboot. Old dog, new tricks. That sort of thing.

I settled on A Beautiful Mess’s Photoshop for Bloggers + DSLR Basics Bundle. It’s a good price, the synopsis says it’s a basic overview of both the subjects I want, I go at my pace, it’s a combo read/video with play files and PDF cheat sheets – it’s perfect for what I need.

AND I’m currently half way through in only a few days, and I’m super pleased. I’m not a true beginner, so I can bust through these really fast, but I’m learning some new habits. Like, back when I learned, we made exposure adjustments from the base image, not in a layer. That alone has been worth the cost of admission. I was all, “WOW” and “DUH” at the same time. Why did I not do it that way? Also, when I started, there was no Bridge, so when Bridge came out, I rejected it. ABM has shown me the error of my ways.

I don’t want to give it all away, but I do recommend if you find yourself in the same boat. Or maybe you’re a true beginner? I think it’s great for that too. She goes through a few parts kind of fast in the video if you’re super new to Photoshop, but it’s completely repeatable. Like, I’ve had to rewatch the same 4 seconds of a knitting video to learn it – same diff.

Besides, those darn girls are so precious, how can one not enjoy taking a class from them?

Seamwork Patterns Sydney and Savannah

Sydney & Savannah
Sydney & Savannah

I signed up for Seamwork Magazine the second they opened up the subscription. I have a penchant for Colette Patterns anyway, not necessarily for their style, but more so for the quality product. The Seamwork patterns seems to fall even more into my style preferences, so yay for finally finding a sewing magazine I dig.

RBF
RBF

Please ignore my severe RBF (resting b*tch face.) I seem to have it bad, when in actuality I was fighting with the remote sensor. I’m not denying I have RBF, but it’s always when I’m pensive or trying to trouble shoot.

Anywho, this is a lovely rayon I found at Joann’s fabric store. I just had to have it, and bought it without a project in mind, as I do. Then my friend Betsy decided to throw a birthday party for herself in the secret speakeasy at Circa 33, and I had to come up with something to wear!

The overlay Sydney is perfect. I made a large, although I should have made a medium. I ended up taking in the shoulders and an inch out of the back, with a 1.5″ taken out of the back neck. It kept sliding down. Fairly easy tweaks to make, however, and I wear this all the time now.

back tweak
back tweak

The Savannah is also a bit tweaked. I omitted the lacey top, made double straps, and lengthened about 6 inches to turn it into a summer slip dress-tunic thing.

slip dress
slip dress

Sorry about the bra – it was blessed hot out, and I wasn’t about to fuss with my strapless, or actual pants….

woooo
woooo

I’m too old modest to wear anything this short anymore, but you can see the length I settled on. I used the bias trim from the Sydney to finish the bottom of the Savannah, and it ties it nicely together. I generally wear this with some skinny jeans, but at this point my face was melting off from the heat and the jeans never would have come back off.

Right now, I have a couple Osakas on the cutting table, and bought some knit for an autumn Mesa, I will lengthen as well.

Sallie Jumpsuit Make (aka Yuma Retirement Wardrobe)

Sallie Jumpsuit
Sallie Jumpsuit

I have memories of my Aunt Angelee looking so smokin’ hot in the late 70s in something similar to this outfit, with the same short hair, her California tan, her wild devil-may-care attitude…THAT’S what I was dreaming of when I bought the Closet Case Files Sallie Jumpsuit. Somehow I’m not quite channeling that. I’m more Grandma Betty in her Yuma retirement years.

It’s 1 part my long torso and/or hips…but I don’t think even lengthening the bodice would help me in this…see…as much as I may LOVE this pattern with all my heart, as a sewist you learn to sew for your body, not force your body into a pattern or style that just isn’t happening.

This isn’t happening.

Top side
Top side

I used a rayon knit that is gloriously drapey and like butter on the skin. The pattern is drawn perfectly, the instructions are sublime – see that top? I’m in love with the top. It’s self-lined. The tie-back is just right. It’s working for me.

grandma waist
grandma waist

I smudged out a weird thing in the background and sorta smudged my hip while I was at it – whatever (I’m playing with some new Photoshop stuff and saved it too soon), but the point of the weird grandma hip-thing is still there. Sure, I’m 40, I’ve had some kids, but I’m not ready for this…Depends chic motorhome grandma in Yuma.

Tunic Options
Tunic Options

So, yeah. I think all is not lost. I think I might try and chop it off at the base of the pockets. See how it does as a tunic-thing. Cuz, that top. I still have Aunt Angelee’s rack goin’ on…but Grandma Betty’s hip-pooch has got to go.

Unless, of course…you know of any leisure suit parties I should go to…practice my hustle…

disco party
disco party